A stabilizing arrangement to support an object is disclosed in the applicant's earlier International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2010/001745, which is published as WO 2011/075793 A1 and which is incorporated herein by reference. The stabilizing arrangement includes at least four ground engaging means, each being pivoted to an interconnection means (or hub) and including first and second engaging regions. The first engaging region of each ground engaging means is engaged with the second engaging region of an adjacent ground engaging means such that said at least four ground engaging means can conform to an uneven surface (i.e. operate in a warp-like mode) while providing support for the object which may be a table top attached to the hub via a stem.
To provide damping of the mechanism, a bolt providing the pivot between a ground engaging means and an interconnection means can be used to pull the ground engaging means and the interconnection means together loading the sliding surfaces therebetween. The torque of the bolt and the materials and surface finishes of the sliding surfaces can be adjusted or selected to provide the required level of damping in the mechanism. However in some cases, when the damping provided is at a level to restrict the unnecessary operation of the mechanism when an eccentric or angled force is applied to the mechanism or to the object being supported, that level of damping can be too high to allow the mechanism to conform to an uneven surface under its own weight or as it is being repositioned.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved stabilizing arrangement in which the force at the sliding surfaces is more sensitive to the vertical support force on the feet of the ground engaging means.